Angle reduction guideway for tenter chain



Dec. 4, 1962 WATERMAN 3,066,377

ANGLE REDUCTION GUIDEWAY TENTER CHAIN Filed Jan. 23, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

JOHN E. WATERMAN llllllll I Q flaww WM,

ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1962 J. E. WATERMAN ANGLE REDUCTION GUIDEWAY FOR TENTER CHAIN Filed Jan. 23, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 :luua: lllll INVENTOR.

- JOHN E. WATERMAN BY ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1962 J. E. WATERMAN 3,066,377

ANGLE REDUCTION GUIDEWAY FOR TENTER CHAIN Filed Jan. 23, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOHN E. WATERMAN ATTORNEYS ire heats 3,066,377 Patented Dec. 4, 1962 Maine Filed Jan. 23, 1361, Ser. No. 84,188 3 Claims. (Cl. 26-61) This invention relates to a tentering machine in which there is a pair of tenter chains which grip opposite edges of a web and increasingly move apart to laterally spread the web.

Heretofore, in a tentering machine of the above referred to type, the guides for clip carrying links of the tentering chains have moved from a straight path to a path at an angle thereto diverging from a center line between them and then back to a straight path at a greater distance from the center line. There has been a single angle change from the narrower spacing between the chains to a greater spacing between the chains. This has caused a somewhat severe stretching of the web gripped by the chains due to the abruptness of the angle from the straight line of travel to the flaring angle of travel increasing the distance of the edges of the web from its center.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide for a plurality of spreading angles for the guides for the tentering chains so that the spreading of the Web will be more gradual.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine which will spread the web which is gripped but which will do so through a plurality of increments of increased angularity rather than by a single increment of angularity which has heretofore been used.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pluraltiy of sections in order to accomplish this more gradual change of angularity and so connect these sections that the angles will be substantially uniform and equal at all points of change through a variety of adjustments of the chain guides which may be afforded.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view diagrammatically illustrating the general guiding paths for the chains and illustrating the areas which provided for obtaining the angularity;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the chain guide on a larger scale in one of the areas of adjustment;

FIGURE 3 is a central sectional view through the showing of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the several chain guide sections which are utilized for obtaining the angularity between the main stretches of guiding track;

FIGURE 5 is a section through the movable rail at right angles to the showing of FIGURE 3 on substantially line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one position of angular arrangement of the chain guiding sections.

In proceeding with this invention, I have utilized a tentering machine but have cut away the guiding track adjacent the pivotal connection between parts of the frame, although leaving the plates which support them connected substantially as before. I have superimposed upon the plates the guides for the chain dividing these guides into a plurality of sections, here shown as three, and so connected these guiding sections that they will divide the angularity between the main parts of the guid- 5 other side of the machine.

ing track into four equal parts instead of having one angle as heretofore.

With reference to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, 10 designates generally the path of travel of the chains for gripping and stretching a web of material. At the start of the run of the web, there is shown the generally parallel tracks 11, 11'. There is then the flaring portion between the tracks in the area designated generally 12, whereas the tracks then assume parallel stretches 14, 14' beyond. It is in the area 12 to which this invention primarily pertains and more particularly the area where the first flaring occurs at the end of the straight stretches 11, 11. At the end of the portions 11, 11' the rails consist of plates 15 and 16 (see FIGURES 2 and 3) which are connected together in a pivotal manner by plate 16 being secured to disc 17 by screws 17' while' it is arched as at 18 to receive the arcuate projection 19 of the plate 15 which is pivotally secured to the disc 17 by a large pivot pin 20. This disc 17 has flanges 21 which are located in undercuts in block 22 (see FIG- URE 5) having a threaded bore 23 through which screw shaft 24 extends to engage a similar block 22 on the In this manner the two plates 15 and 16 are hingedly mounted together about a vertical axis of the pin 26 for lateral angular adjustment.

A chain guiding track is fixed to the plate 15, and on plate 16 there is fixed the chain guiding track 26. Each of these tracks have inner and outer chain guiding portions for the forward and return travel of the chain, the outer guiding portion being designated 27 and the inner guiding portion being designated 28 for the track 25 and designated as 27 and 28' for the track 26.

Between the ends of the track 25 and track 26, there are a plurality of track sections 31, 32 and 33 which are supported by the two plates 15 and 16 and serve to guide the chain from one straight run thereof to another straight run thereof at an angle thereto. The sections each have outer chain guiding grooves 29 and inner chain guiding grooves 30. These sections are similar in construction and are pivoted to each other and to the tracks 25 and 26 in such a manner as to equally distribute the angle between the tracks 25 and 26 in any position of relative angularity of the tracks 25 and 26. Such pivoting is accomplished as will now be described:

Each of the sections 31, 32 and 33 have pivot ears 34. extending from one side of the section and extending from the other side of the section. The ears 34 and 35 are at dilferent elevations so that they will over lap and each of the ears are bored for the reception of connecting pins for interconnecting the sections. Also each of the sections has a hollow center designated 36. The center section 32 receives a pin 37 (see FIGURE 3) through the car 34 with a reduced portion 38 of the pin having a pivotal bearing in the opening 39 of the car 34. This portion 33 also bottoms in a recess in ear 35 of section 31. The pin 37 has its larger part 40 reduced as at 41 for the reception of a link to be later described. A screw 42 passes through pin 37 and is threaded into ear 35 of section 31 as at 43 to fixedly mount the pin 37 with reference to this. ear 35. The spacing is such as to avoid binding on ear 34 of section 32.

In the car 35 of the section 32 there is a similar pin 44 which is mounted thereon by a screw 45 by being threaded into the threaded opening 436 of the ear 35 of the section 32. This pin extends upwardly therefrom with its portion 47 passing through slot 43 in the ear 34 of the section 33. This pin also has its larger portion 49 reduced as at 50 to receive a link as will be seesaw hereinafter described. In this manner the center section 32 is assembled with the sections 31 and 33.

Section 31 is connected to the track 26 which has an car 51 by means of a pin 52 extending through opening 53 in the ear 51. A screw 54 passes through pin 52 and has threaded engagement as at 55 with the plate 16 to fixedly mount the pin thereon. This pin passes through a slot 56 in the ear 34 of the section 31, and a Washer 57 under the head 58 of the screw 54 prevents the car 34 of section 31 from lifting off of the pin.

The section 33 is connected to the track 25 by pin 59 passing through opening 60 in the car 61 of the track 25 and a bearing fit in the opening 62 of the ear 35 of the section 33. A washer 63 is located on the top of this pin 59 under the head 64 of screw 65 which engages the threads 66 in the plate 15 to mount pin 59 thereon.

A further control of these sections is provided by post 67 secured through its head 68 and screws 69 to the plate 15 and post 70 secured through its head 71 and screws 72 to the plate 16. These posts extend through the opening 36 in the sections 31 and 33 without touching the Walls thereof and are connected together by a bar or plate 73 and screws 74 and 75. Screw 74 permits pivotal movement of bar 73 in post 70 while a slot 78 permits pivotal and sliding movement of bar 73 with reference to post 67. This plate or bar has openings 76 and 77 to receive the portions 41 and 51 respectively of the pins 37 and 44.

By this manner of connection, when I rotate screw 24 to relatively move into different angular positions the plates 15 and 16, I carry with these plates the posts 67 and 70. This bar 73 will in all positions be at equal angles to the center line of plates 15 and 16 and at an angle one half of the angularity between them. These posts 67 and 70 in turn carry with them the pins 37 and 44. Pin 37 being connected to section 32 causes this section to follow the movement of the bar 73 and pin 44 being connected to the section 32 causes its end to follow in a like amount the movement of bar 73. This section 32 thus bisects the angle between plates 15 and 16. The slotted connection as at 48 permits of relative movement to accomplish this change of position. The movement of pin 37 also moves section 31 at its point of connection to section 31, and as this section 31 is attached by pin 53 to track 26, this section will in turn be disposed at equal angles to the center lines of plate 16 and section 32 and at an angle of one-half of the angularity between them. In this same way section 33 will be disposed between the track 25 and section 32. Thus by reason of these equal movements caused by this bar 73, there will be provided equal increments of angularity between section 33 and track 25 and between section 31 and track 26 and also equal increments of angularity between mid section 32 and the sections 31 and 33 at either side of it. I have indicated in FIGURE 6 a relative movement showing 16 between track 25 and track 26 which by reason of the three sections connected as described will cause four increments of angular change of 4 each between the tracks and sections or progressively of 4, 8, 12, and 16 between track 25 and track 26. Thus, I have provided an arrangement by which the angle which exists between the plates 15 and 16 is split into four different increments by the three sections 31, 32 and 33 for guiding the chain in its travel, thus imparting a more gradual change of angle from one straight line flow of the chain to another straight line flow and a less strain upon the work.

Iclaim:

1. In a tentering machine, two main track portions for guiding the links of a chain comprising plates hinged. together and track guides on said plates, a plurality of shorter track sections for guiding links of a chain supported on said plates, said sections being pivoted to said track guides, a bar extending between said plates and pivoted thereto at equal distances from the hinge connection between said plates, and pivot pins between said sections having a pivot bearing in said bar and in at least one of said sections.

2. In a tentering machine, two main track portions for guiding the links of a chain comprising plates hinged together and track guides on said plates, at least three shorter track sections for guiding links of a chain supported on said plates, the end sections being pivoted to said track guides, a bar extending between said plates and pivoted thereto at equal distances from the hinge connection between said plates, and pivot pins between said end and intermediate sections having a pivot bearing in said bar and in at least one of said sections.

3. In a tentering machine, two main track portions for guiding the links of a chain comprising plates hinged together and track guides on said plates, an intermediate and two end shorter track sections for guiding links of a chain supported on said plates, the end sections being pivoted to said track guides, a bar extending between said plates and pivoted thereto at equal distances from the hinge connection between said plates, and pivot pins between said intermediate and end sections having a pivot fixed location bearing in said bar and in at least one of said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 664,016 Germany Aug. 18, 1938 

